Movement Boulder — Local services in Boulder

The community is phenomenal. The facility itself is clean and packed with amenities.

However, a climbing gym must excel in its most fundamental offering: the climbing routes. In this critical area, Movement Boulder falls incredibly short.

Lack of Grade Variety: The route distribution is poor, especially for those new to the sport. The setting crew seems to have a disdain for beginner and intermediate climbers, exemplified by the latest cave set, which starts at a V4. Furthermore, routes in the V0-V3 range are consistently more challenging than advertised. Repetitive Style: There is little variety in the style of movement and technique required. The routes are often monotonous and uninspired, seemingly always requiring a specific heel hook or a move that feels inaccessible unless you are an elite climber or over six feet tall. Inconsistent Grading: While every gym has some variability, Movement Boulder lacks consistency within its own walls. The grading changes so much between different sets that tracking personal progress is nearly impossible, which removes the sense of satisfaction that comes with progression. Unsafe Setting: The route setting can be questionable and, at times, dangerous. There is a concerning tendency to set dynamic moves that direct a potential fall toward unpadded concrete sections, force movements with a high risk of tendon injury, and incorporate hazardous top-out sequences.

Observing the gym's most dedicated climbers frequently bypass the new routes in favor of the training boards and weight room only serves to validate these criticisms.

As a climber who performs in the V10 range and has been a member here for over two years, I believe the gym's only strengths are its community, facility, and lifting area. Beyond that, it fails in its primary function as a climbing gym and is certainly not a place I would recommend for...

They actually pay a service to come through and kick out vans. I parked late at night planning to go in at opening the next day. Someone came through at 2:15A.

Funny thing is she didn’t say anything to the other two vans parked in the lot, or the car that seemed to be trying to hide behind one of the vans.

Lame, and anti-cool. It would make more sense if I, or the van people, were there all the time and constantly taking up spots from their customers… oh, and if we weren’t also customers.

Hopefully the boulders are at least good!

Update: The boulders were good. Nice setting- though pretty soft. (To be expected for the area.) Unfortunately not a whole lot of space for the boulders. This might be the only climbing gym I’ve been too with more fitness area space than bouldering.

When you talk with the locals though they all say the same thing. “Movement knows this gym is too small- but they won’t do anything other than tell us to drive to Denver!”

1 star simply for existing, another star for the...

Let me start by saying that my home gym is the spot and I've been going there for several years at this point. I'm very used to a communal environment and seeing positive reinforcement for newbies and more advanced climbers alike. It's more of an old school feel and everyone is very down to earth.

This ain't that. I came in to do a lead belay test and run some routes with my buddy about a week after coming back from a climbing trip out in Wyoming. The guy doing the test was so rude and condescending that I couldn't even focus enough to belay properly. I felt like I had committed a crime or something.. I ended up doing a little bouldering and leaving. The clientele is nothing to write home about either. Super judgemental and snide, will barely say 2 words to you. It's basically boulders' yuppie climbing crowd.

*While this particular incident did happen pre COVID-19 it says an awful lot about an experience if it was so negative you remember it a full year later... I haven't been...